During iftar dinner German president warns against demonizing Muslims

"Promoting encounters is particularly important at a time when mutual mistrust is spreading," said Gauck on Monday, just one day after a terrorist went on a deadly rampage in the US.
 
The former East Germany Lutheran pastor joined the iftar in Moabit, a district in Berlin with a large migrant population.
 
Germany received over one million asylum seekers last year; an influx which has resulted in tensions with its native population and political parties such as the anti-refugee  Alternative for Germany (AfD) that claims Islam is not compatible with the German constitution.
 
Noting that for some of the people the fear of Takfiri terrorism "has become a fear of Muslims," Gauck warned against the polarization of the society.
 
    "All who celebrate the iftar together today can attest: Living together is possible," he added.
 
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to dusk and break their fast in the evening (iftar).
 
    "Simply being together can sometimes even replace long discussions -- especially if we let ourselves be guided by the golden rule that is common to all major religions and simply says: Treat others as you want them to treat you," Gauck noted.
 
Europe is facing its worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II as vast numbers of asylum seekers fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East try to gain access to the continent.
 
On Sunday, some 50 people were killed and many others were injured when a gunman, identified as a Daesh sympathizer named Omar Mateen, attacked a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
 
The refugee crisis in Europe and a series of Daesh related terrorist attacks across the globe have led to the rise of Islamaphobia among racists and xenophobes in the West.